Connolly presents Trump with symbols of peace during courtesy callMs Connolly was a long-standing critic of Mr Trump before she took up office.President Catherine Connolly and President Donald Trump at Aras an Uachtarain (Tony Maxwell/Maxwells/PA)PA MediaJonathan McCambridge2 minutes ago
Donald Trump was presented with a St Brigid’s Cross – recognised as a symbol of peace – during his brief courtesy call with Irish President Catherine Connolly.
He was also given a collection of poems which contained the famous Michael Longley sonnet Ceasefire.
Considering Irish President Ms Connolly was a long-standing critic of Mr Trump before she took up office, the choice of gifts may be considered as pointed.
The visit of the US President to Áras an Uachtaráin was always likely to be one of the most scrutinised parts of his two-day visit to Ireland.
Ms Connolly, a left-wing independent TD before she was elected president, had previously accused Mr Trump of being “volatile” and “acting like a bully”, and was critical of his actions in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump views the guard of honour outside Áras an Uachtaráin (James Manning/PA)PA Wire
For his part, Mr Trump mistakenly referred to Ms Connolly as “he” when asked about critical comments she made against him in relation to the US-Israeli war against Iran in the Oval Office on St Patrick’s Day last year.
Considering the context, the meeting of the two presidents on Saturday morning was always likely to present her most substantial diplomatic test since assuming office.
As it was, the engagement, heavy on ceremony, passed off without major incident.
Mr Trump’s substantial cavalcade rolled through Phoenix Park shortly after 9am.
He emerged from his car to shake Ms Connolly’s hand before the pair smiled while briefly posing for photographs.
Ms Connolly stood at the end of the steps in the Portico to greet Mr Trump and then led the American president down the Francini corridor and into the state reception room.
Ms Connolly, a long-standing critic of the US president, invited him to sign the visitors’ book in the state reception room.
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They then proceeded to the drawing room and into a hallway where Mr Trump was introduced to dignitaries.
President Catherine Connolly welcomes US President Donald Trump as he arrives (James Manning/PA)PA Wire
They then went back outside, where Mr Trump stood to attention while the national anthems of the US and Ireland were played.
The US president then inspected a guard of honour before Ms Connolly introduced him to a delegation of Irish dignitaries including Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy.
Mr Trump then introduced Ms Connolly to his delegation, including his son Donald Jr and some of his grandsons.
The two presidents were then escorted to the state drawing room in the Aras for a courtesy call, which lasted slightly more than 15 minutes.
The gifts presented to the visiting party included the St Brigid’s Cross, woven from rushes, and the collected poems of Michael Longley, featuring his sonnet Ceasefire.
As Mr Trump left the Aras to continue with his engagements elsewhere in Phoenix Park, he briefly stopped to answer questions from reporters.
While he spoke about oil prices, he did not respond to a questions about his conversations with Ms Connolly.
However, he did leave a simple message in the visitors book. It read: “A GREAT HONOR TO BE HERE THANK YOU”.
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